Building Momentum to Transform Learning

Join us for the 2nd Annual Education Innovation Summit September 26-27, 2016!

Sometimes the distance between where you are and where you want to be can seem like a giant chasm—impossible to cross. The distance is larger than your stride and would seem to require supernatural abilities to leap across it. That’s where momentum enters the equation.

Momentum is the force or speed of movement of a moving object. In physics we know it as the product of mass and velocity, or the quantity of motion of a moving body. It evokes a variety of images, typically, an object in motion that is gaining speed. You might imagine the momentum of a wave as it carries a surfer to shore, or the momentum of a skier navigating down a steep mountain side.

When I think of momentum, I think of the force it takes to overcome challenges in my work. Sometimes that means gathering enough momentum that I can break through the barriers.

Other times I think of momentum as joining forces within a team to increase the speed and impact of our forward motion.

When I think of momentum at the school level, I remember working with students at Jefferson Elementary School in Fayetteville, AR. We had a student council for our K-5 elementary and the students were determined to build a new playground. They had a vision for replacing worn down equipment and expanding play structures to improve the overall school climate. Once the momentum started, their small team expanded to include the entire school, the PTA, Fayetteville Parks and Recreation and the local School Board. In a short period of time, the team raised an unbelievable amount of support and funding. As a result, Jefferson Elementary added one of the nicest parks within the school system thanks to the momentum of a small group of dedicated students who saw beyond barriers. The sign acknowledging the student council still stands in the grassy field where the Jefferson playground used to be, a silent testament to what happens when you build momentum in a community!

Whether you are breaking through barriers or trying to unify a vision to increase your impact, the 2nd Annual Education Innovation Summit is where you will want to be to gain momentum for innovating student learning!
We are inviting teachers, leaders, school board members, policy-makers—all education stakeholders— to a one of a kind experience to build momentum to transform learning in Arkansas. Join us September 26-27, 2016 at the Little Rock Marriott for a learning experience that will help you Engage, Design, Transform!

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Our Mission

Our mission is to enhance Arkansas's capacity for research, implementation, and evaluation of educational innovations,
promising practices, and programs with a high likelihood of improving outcomes for students.